


A Lonely Spider's Tale (Phantom Troupe/Feitan Backstory)

by Lemonyolive



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Backstory, Gen, Meteor City | Ryuuseigai (Hunter X Hunter), Nen (Hunter X Hunter), Other, Top Feitan (Hunter X Hunter), phantom troupe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:34:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27012847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lemonyolive/pseuds/Lemonyolive
Summary: I fear I must warn you; this is not a happy story but one of immense sadness and cruelty. The tale of a lonely spider.
Relationships: Feitan (Hunter X Hunter)/Original Female Character(s), Feitan (Hunter X Hunter)/Reader, Feitan (Hunter X Hunter)/You, Feitan (Hunter x Hunter)/Original Character(s), Feitan/Kuroro Lucifer | Chrollo Lucifer, Feitan/Machi, Feitan/Phinks (Hunter X Hunter), Feitan/Phinks/Shalnark (Hunter x Hunter), Feitan/Shalnark (Hunter x Hunter)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 47
Collections: Hunter x Hunter





	1. It's a Hard Life Kid

**“I’m so sorry I failed you… I should’ve done more, there’s so much I could’ve done better. Please…my little Feitan...don't you ever forget me…”**

These were the last solemn words spoken in a language different than the common tongue of this world, by a young woman with beautiful black hair. In her cold arms, her five-year-old son lay, eyes shut as he tried his hardest to keep her warm. He did not know she would never draw breath again.

I fear I must warn you; this is not a happy story. It’s one of immense sadness and cruelty. The tale of one lonely spider.

She was a woman whose origins were a mystery to anyone who knew her, she spoke a language that no one else understood. Over time, she met a man whom she learned to love tremendously and quickly fell pregnant.

The man was another resident of the desolate Meteor City. He was initially excited at the idea of having a family with the beautiful raven-haired woman, but one night after she had fallen asleep, probably due to the pressure of the financial strain of having a baby or his fear of commitment, he snuck out and never returned again.

She was left to fend for herself and she was now heavily pregnant. Not long after, she had a baby boy, with hair as black as hers and eyes a beautiful hue of grey; the spitting image of his father’s. Just the sight of his eyes was enough to make her tear up.

She was young and inexperienced but loved her son with all she had. He was always a quiet and cautious child, taking nearly two years to say his first word.

In the years that followed, she stole enough to occasionally feed her son, who she had named Feitan. With time she grew thinner and weaker from her lack of nourishment, and this left her open to the many diseases running wild in the city.

After catching a serious illness, she had a slow and painful death. Her son was the sole witness to her demise. He had also been infected, and he didn’t know if he too would join his mother.

Unfortunately for him, he survived. Forced to leave his dead mother behind he continued on and wandered the streets, looking for anyone who might be kind enough to give him something to eat.

He was unusually small for his age. This was due to the lack of proper nutrition this had stumped his growth and won’t continue to affect his height even as an adult. 

Feitan had been alone for nearly 2 months when he encountered a strange man with blazing red hair and glowing blue eyes. It was particularly cold and dark that evening, the wind was harsh as it was unforgiving.

“Hey kid, want a bite to eat? You look like you need it” He slyly grinned at the young child in front of him.

“Yes…” was all he could manage to say. He had only been raised by his mother who only spoke her native tongue with him. He had picked up a few words in the common language here and there, but his manner of speaking was poor.

Throwing the starving child half a loaf of bread the red-headed man noticed how small and frail Feitan was.

“Where are your parents?” he asked the pale child as he impatiently devoured the bread in his hands.

“Gone.” He hadn’t even been alive for five years, but he already knew the pain and suffering of a parent’s absence.

“Do you have somewhere to go?”

The small child just shook his head, his eyes never leaving the floor.

“Alright come with me. I don’t have much but at least you’ll get to eat every now and then.”

The man motioned at the raven-haired boy to follow him, pausing occasionally to let the weakened child catch up to him.

Feitan did not question the man’s motives nor did he care. In his eyes, at this moment, he only cared to have something to eat and a person to follow.

He didn’t know what this man had planned for him. While his mother had taught him to always be wary of strangers, he had learned in the months since her passing that his mother’s acquaintances were just as cruel as any person unknown to him.

“Oh, my name is Birsha. What’s your name kid?” the tall man asked as he led the boy into a dark house with a creaky wooden door.

“Fei…tan.” He mumbled under his breath as he rubbed his eyes in exhaustion.

  
  


* * *

The next morning the small boy was awakened by the feeling of something being thrown at him. The cold, hardwood of a broom handle made its mark on his face before falling to the ground. 

“Get up brat! You’re not going to be eating for free. Clean this place up!” pointing at the broom that he had hit Feitan with.

Why was this man suddenly being so mean to him? He had shown him more kindness last night than he had received in the past. _“Maybe that’s how adults are. Mean.”_

After doing as he was told he sat down at the table in the kitchen. Birsha handed him a plate with a small amount of rice in it. It may not seem like much to others but having two meals in a row was a blessing to Feitan.

“You say thank you kid” The redhead spat.

“Tank…you.” He hesitantly mumbled.

In the days that followed while he wasn’t allowed to leave to the house, he would be given food to eat every now and then. It was becoming obvious that this man had another malevolent reason for taking in the orphan.

“Do you know how to steal boy?” Birsha question as he sat on a chair sharpening a knife.

“Yes. Not good.” Feitan quietly muttered.

“Well, that much I figured! You wouldn’t be so fuckin’ skinny if you were good at being a thief.”

Silence was always a faithful companion of his, it brought him a sort of comfort that he could not find elsewhere. Sometimes it was easier to stay quiet than to speak.

“I’ll just cut straight to the point. I’m going to teach you how to get by and you’ll steal for me. There are a few others like you that I have taken in. I sent them away for a few days. I told em not to come back until they stole what I asked them to.”

There were other children like him? How many did this man need to do his dirty work for him?

“The rules are simple. You obey me, don’t get in my fuckin way, and you don’t do shit without my permission. If you run away, I’ll find you and put an end to your miserable excuse of a life.”

Birsha was no fool. He knew exactly how to lure in hungry and desperate children. Play nice at first, then slowly condition them to obey your every order. He could tell by glancing at the pale boy next to him that Feitan was frightened of him, and this fact made the blood in his veins rush with excitement.

_“I can’t wait to break him, just like all the other urchins.”_


	2. Better With You Around

“Hey wake up!” A boy with long black hair and large grey eyes cried out to the similar-looking boy sleeping on the floor.

“It’s no use Chrol, he’s probably already dead.” A thin child, probably around eight or so with blond hair and a hooked nose said as she crossed her arms above them.

This noise abruptly woke the much smaller black-haired child, leaving him bewildered at the sight of other children in front of him.

“I’m Chrollo! This is Paku.” He said as he gestured at the taller child behind him.

Chrollo was two years younger than Feitan, but they were nearly the same height.

“My name…is Feitan.” He whispered, placing his hands in front of him as he stared into them.

“Did Mr. Bisha find you?” the boy asked, he was genuinely curious about Feitan.

“Chrollo, it’s not nice to be nosey.” The blonde raised her eyebrows at Chrollo. While she looked a few years older than him, she acted like she was six years his senior.

It was rare whenever Feitan had the chance to interact with any other children. Most mothers wanted to keep their kids away from him, even when his mother was still alive. He had an odd way of always being silent and had an intimidating glare.

_“Be careful about the way you act around other people Fei my dear”_ the sweet voice of his mother echoed in his head.

“I am found by Birsha. I am orphan.”

This was the most Chrollo and Pakunoda had heard out of him since they met him. It became abundantly clear that he could not speak their language very well.

“Why can’t you talk right?” Paku curiously wondered.

“Paku!” Chrollo protested, turning his glance to the embarrassed boy next to him.

Feitan only answered with silence, a trait that the other children would soon learn to understand. It was a strange bunch; a charismatic young Chrollo, a headstrong and serious Pakunoda, and the quiet and misunderstood Feitan.

“You have to learn how to avoid making the old man angry. Don’t talk back, don’t ask him too many questions. If you don’t want him to beat you, you must make sure you stay out of his way.” The blonde girl insisted.

Unknown to Feitan at the moment, this was not a good place to be. All the children that had been essentially kidnapped by the redheaded man were frequently beaten, starved, and tortured. They all had to steal and do as he commanded, every child under the fear that they would be killed if they ever ran away. Despite all this, they still ate more frequently than they would if they were alone on the streets, and they at least would have some shelter to shield them from the unforgiving weather in Meteor City.

* * *

“I told you not to touch the fuckin food unless _I_ say so you worthless brat!” an enraged Birsha chased the small pale boy.

Feitan had been punished for failing to successfully steal a pocket watch from a woman that he was instructed to do so, and because of this he was beaten and starved for three days.

“You live in my house and eat my food and don’t even have the gall to steal what I told you to steal! You’re worthless! You and the rest of these damn filthy wretches!” A ceramic plate flung across the room, hitting the small Feitan on the head before crashing on the floor and breaking into a million pieces.

“Pick this up. I don’t want to see your face for the next week.”

In the six months that Feitan had been under the “care” of Birsha were in all honesty, no better than his life on the streets. Every night when he would curl up on the floor a few inches away from Chrollo and Pakunoda, his mind would work furiously to find a way to escape the cruel place he been a prisoner of. He feared that if he made it out alone, the man would kill the other two children in retaliation. _“I wish you were here mommy”_ he thought as he sighed softly, turning to face the other sleeping kids.

* * *

“Hey! Paku! Do you know my birthday? I think I’ll be four!” Chrollo chirped as he skipped behind Pakunoda and Feitan. They were on their way home from the market, carrying a sack of rice and a bottle of wine for Birsha.

“I don’t Chrollo I’m sorry. Feitan doesn’t know his either but I think he should already be six by now. What do you think Fei?”

“Fei?” the black-haired boy wondered, looking up at the blonde girl next to him.

“Fei fei! Easier than Fei-ten!” Chrollo cooed, grabbing his hand teasingly.

It was sometimes hard for Feitan to keep up with the lively and energetic Chrollo. The time he had spent being abused and neglected by the cruel Birsha was only bearable because he was by their side.

“I no know birthday.” Feitan mumbled.

“You _don’t_ know your birthday.” Pakunoda firmly corrected him.

“Paky why don’t we pick! I wanna pick my birthday!” Chrollo said as he leaped through the dirt street.

“Fine. I think that would be a good idea. Do you know your months Chrol?” Pakunoda asked, placing her blonde hair in a ponytail to keep her from sweating in the heat.

“Um Janury, Febry, March, June, Septeber, October!” he proudly recited.

“I think you’re missing a few but you’re trying, that counts. Which one is your favorite?” She glanced at Chrollo and Feitan, waiting for a reply from the younger children.”

“Mine is October!!! I want my birthday to be October Paky!” the younger ebony-haired child jumped with excitement.

“August.” Feitan replied. His voice got drowned in Chrollo’s blabbering, but the tall girl was still able to hear.

“Okay Chrol, your birthday will be in October and Fei’s will be in August. We can pick a number later. If we don’t hurry the old man might get mad at us! Here Fei hold the bottle for me so I can hold Chrollo’s hand.”

Holding the cold wine bottle in his frail and pale hands, he focused carefully on it. Mesmerized by the dark red hues swirling in the container, he was no longer paying attention to the ground underneath him. He wondered what it tasted like; would it be sweet? Maybe one day he would be able to find out.

“Feitan watch where you’re going!” Pakunoda cried from behind.

It was too late. The stones buried in the dirt under his feet tripped him, causing him to come crashing down, the bottle of wine slipped from his hands. He lay at the entrance of the house, shards of glass splattered around him and he was covered in a red cool liquid. A few drops of the wine had fallen in his mouth. _“It tastes disgusting.”_

Birsha had been alerted by the sound of glass breaking and as he saw the boy on the floor with the glass of his precious wine shattered, he felt his body fill with the heat of rage.

“You’re gonna get it now you fuckin imp! You’ll learn to regret this day.”

The redhead, now with a rounder belly from eating the spoils of the food the children he abused stole, picked Feitan up by his hair. He didn’t weigh more than 35 pounds, and he felt surprisingly light even to Birsha. The boy was trembling, awaiting his punishment.

More damage was done to poor Feitan than the broken bottle of wine on the floor.


	3. The Fire of Hope

“Please Mr. Birsha! Please let him go now...it’s been two weeks! PLEASE!” Pakunoda pleaded in between tears, following the redheaded man around the kitchen.

“QUIET! You say one more word and you’ll be joining him down there too!” he swiftly turned around and smacked the blonde child across the face. She flinched, letting out a gasp when she felt the harsh surface of his hand.

She dropped to the floor, letting her tears dampen the cement floor underneath her. Feitan had been locked up in the basement for 15 days now, she had counted every day in agony as Chrollo would ask every morning where his friend had gone.

“Paky, where’s Fei? I miss him..” Chrollo would cry rubbing his eyes in frustration and exhaustion.

“He went to find something for the old man Chrol, he’ll be back soon.”

But he didn’t come back, the days would pass and only Pakunoda knew where Feitan was. She too had been subjected to the torturous darkness of the basement when she was younger. Birsha was a cruel and unwavering man. He got a kick out of controlling and punishing helpless children.

Down in the darkness, Feitan had lost count of how many nights had passed since he’d broken the wine bottle. Despite being slow with his words, he was quick with his mind. Birsha would only feed him on certain days but the small boy began to ration his food and water to make sure he would at least not faint from starvation. His wounds from the punishment the man had inflicted on him were beginning to heal, but they still stung whenever he moved.

“Paky we need to help him out.” Chrollo cried as he pulled on the girl’s dress.

“Chrollo…how did you know?” Pakunoda had tried her hardest to shield him from the truth behind Feitan’s situation but unfortunately, Chrollo was too bright and perceptive.

“You cry at night but if he ran away Bisha would tell us he died. You put your ear to the floor. You are looking for Fei”

He was right, the other children who had tried to run away would always end up dying at the hands of Birsha, and he never failed to let the children know it. Pakunoda would spend most of her evening placing her head to the hard floor, trying to hear any signs that Feitan was still alive. She had even tried to steal the key to the basement from Birsha when he was black-out drunk, but the key wouldn’t turn. She needed more strength to unlock it.

“The only thing we can do now is wait for him to release Fei, Chrollo. We have to wait.”

“We can’t! He can die! I don’t want to lose a friend again!” His voice was breaking, letting tears stream down his cherub face.

“I’ll find a way to get him to get him out soon Chrol, please don’t cry.” She held the boy in her arms, letting him cry hopelessly. it pained her to see him shaking, fearing the life of a friend. _“Why is this so hard? What did we do to deserve this?”_

* * *

It had been weeks since the last time Feitan saw the brightness of the sun. His eyes were sensitive, barely able to stay open as a result. Pakunoda had persuaded the man to release him after giving him an extra-strong glass of wine. She knew he was less violent when drunk if he had enough to drink and used this to her advantage to slip the idea of letting Feitan go.

“You break my drink again brat you’ll never see the light of day again.” The redhead kicked the back of Feitan’s knees, bringing him crashing on the floor.

“Come one let’s get you something to eat.” Pakunoda grasped Feitan’s now slimmer wrists and smiled softly.

“Fei Fei!” Chrollo came running from the other room, too excited to notice how dirty and full of dry blood he was.

Feitan was relieved to be out of the darkness of the underground. He was starving, tired, and every bone in his body was aching. The only thing on his mind was that there were two people that were happy to see him, and that filled his heart with a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time; hope.

That night while everyone was supposed to be asleep, Feitan heard some footsteps approaching him. He had memorized the sound of each person’s walk, heavy and loud belonged to Birsha, soft and slow were Chrollo’s, and light and fast were Pakunoda’s.

“Psst. Fei. How are you feeling? Did he hurt you a lot?” Pakunoda’s voice confirmed his suspicion that she was who was next to him.

“Sad. It…hurt.” He whispered back.

“I’m so sorry. He’s evil. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him…” she could see the glow of his purple-grey eyes, light reflecting off of them as he teared up.

It wasn’t often when Feitan would cry but recently had been different. He was no stranger to the cruelty of neglect and abandonment he felt when others would turn a blind eye to a starving child like him on the streets. Yet this was a new kind of betrayal and sadness he learned. Someone like Birsha going out of their way to harm him.

_“Life isn’t fair. It won’t ever be.”_

* * *

“And you brats better have this place clea-clean!” The cruel man’s voice was shaky, he was fading in and out of consciousness. The mug in his hands placed firmly on the table, sloshing alcohol everywhere.

Pakunoda had crushed a large amount of valerian root that she had stolen from the market in town into Birsha’s cup of wine. She knew it wouldn’t be long until he fell asleep, and sure enough within minutes, he was dozing off on the kitchen table.

“Okay, we have a few hours. Let’s go!” Pakunoda raced out the door, looking back over her shoulder to make sure the two boys were following her. They paced through the streets, mostly covered in rubbish and debris yet they wore no shoes.

Arriving at the closet junkyard to where they lived, they marveled at the towering piles of abandoned trash. Appliances, some cars, smaller objects like books and if they were lucky, toys.

Meteor City was the dumping ground of the world. It was founded over 1,500 years ago as a place to dispose of unwanted items, possessions, and even people. In fact, most inhabitants were there because they were left there as babies. Some were born to citizens abandoned as children years ago, like Feitan. The people of Meteor City did not exist legally, there was no way to track a person who lived there. They were lucky if they knew their names, and many did not know other important information like their date of birth. It was a cesspool, filled with the unwanted and the mysterious.

“Paku there’s a thing here! It looks like a bike from the book!” Chrollo pulled the rusted metal frame that was a bicycle, flinging his arm in the air.

“Chrollo be careful you don’t want to hurt yourself!” she scolded as she dug under the debris.

“Where people that have these…live?” Feitan stuttered, pointing at a large refrigerator lodged in between some metal pipes. He was astounded at the shape and chrome color of the object, his imagination running wild with ideas as to what it could be for.

“They’re rich! They have to be! They maybe have these in their houses too!” Chrollo kicked at a black rectangular electronic, a television.

“Chrollo…Fei. I wanted to bring you here to talk. We can’t talk at the old man’s place because maybe he can hear us.” She looked up at the orange sky, a thick fog covering it.

“We need to get out there. Or he’ll kill us…” she continued.

It was a thought that had lingered in Feitan’s mind for a while. Birsha’s threats always overclouded any idea to escape. He feared for his life, and his two friends also. Could there be a way to get out without him finding them?

“How do we do it?” Chrollo wondered, his hands occupied with a book with its cover torn off.

“This city is huge. We just need to give him enough to make him sleep a whole night. We make our way to the other side, where he can’t find us. After seeing what he did to you Fei…I don’t want that to happen again. He seems to really have something against you.” The blonde girl explained, the wind blowing in her face as she spoke.

It was true. Birsha had taken a particular dislike to the smaller black-haired boy. He rarely spoke and if he did, it was in broken sentences. He was clumsy, small, and frail. Feitan was timid and wary of the man and he hated it. The reason Birsha hated Feitan even more than the other kids was that he reminded him of himself when he was younger. It was the saddest form of self-hate.

“When?” Feitan asked turning his head so he could face Pakunoda.

“We do it in 2 days. I need time to find more Valerian, enough to make him sleep for a day.”

The two boys nodded at her in agreement, Chrollo jumping off a pile of wooden trash to land on the ground next to Feitan.

“We’re gonna be in a better place Fei!” Chrollo reassured him.

“Thanks for idea” Feitan mumbled at Pakunoda.

“Actually…it was Chrollo’s idea.” They all looked at Chrollo, his grey eyes glowing brightly, a fire had been ignited from within.


	4. No Point In Looking Back

On the night of the execution of their plan, the sky was clearer than it had been in a very long time. It was as if the world was trying to give the children a small glimmer of hope, in return for all it had taken from them.

Birsha had been particularly moody that day, so it was the perfect excuse for him to sit back and drink himself stupid. It had also been a grueling day for the kids. They had been ordered to rob a specific merchant a few hour's walk from Birsha’s house. Thankfully, they had everything ready for their escape when they returned home.

All three children were tired, but the small amount of hope they were clinging too kept them going. Pakunoda was standing over the kitchen counter, polishing a plate as she had been ordered by Birsha. 

“Girl! Bring me some more whine! Hurry!” the redheaded man snapped, shoving his mug in Pakunoda’s face. She willingly took the cup from his beefy hands, softly placing it on the counter. 

_“Now’s my chance.” Pakunoda thought._

She poured the red liquid from the opened wine bottle and slipped an envelope from her dress pocket. Enough valerian root powder to knock out a horse, and it would be more than enough for the man to stay unconscious throughout the night.

Chrollo and Feitan were waiting around the corner of the kitchen, watching the man’s every move.

“What the fuck are you two looking at?! Do you want me to beat you until you can’t see anything?!” he barked as he motioned at Pakunoda to bring his wine over.

“No sir” Chrollo disappeared into the shadows, pulling Feitan with him. That was a close one, they both thought. 

The time they waited for him to knock out was agonizing. Pakonoda was beginning to sweat with nervousness. _“It needs to work.”_ The sun was beginning to set, and soon darkness would be upon them. 

A loud thud brought them all to their senses. It was Birsha, sprawled out on the table with his mouth open. Every detail about him was ugly. His balding hairline and greasy unkempt hair, his jutting belly growing more pronounced every day, his yellow teeth which were mostly missing. He was a disgusting character, inside and out. 

Chrollo motioned at Pakunoda and she nodded quickly. It was their cue to move. They were about to leave for good, and they had to make sure they ran far enough to where their cruel captor could never find them. Meteor City was huge, and if they traveled at night where fewer people would see them, they could make it to their destination within 7 or 8 hours. 

They left through the front door, making sure nothing was amiss. They each hid a bag with what little belongings they had in the alley two houses down and once they secured their items they made their way down the road. It was an empowering and also frightening feeling, finally breaking free from Bisha's chains.

“We need to hurry. Even if he sleeps all night, we need to make sure we get really far.” The tall blonde murmured to the two boys behind her.

“I’m not gonna miss this place.” Chrollo declared and he didn’t even look back.

“Birsha evil.” Feitan added, making sure he was keeping up the pace with Pakunoda.

They made their way through the junkyard, as it served as a shortcut to the other side of town. It was eerily silent except for the howling of the wind. The scenery here was always changing, new trash would be deposited every so often. New treasures for the children to rummage through. Yet this time, they were only passing by. The junkyards were famous landmarks of the city, and there were many more wherever they were headed. 

“Sh! Wait- do you hear that?” Pakunoda motioned at the boys to stop running. 

It was barely audible under the noise of the wind. Whining, a human voice.

“Mamaaaa. Mamaaa” It was faint, but obviously a child.

“It’s a baby!” Chrollo cried out, looking around to where the sound was coming from.

Pakunoda’s heart sank at the sound of the crying child’s voice. Another baby dumped like nothing. Just like she had been, and Chrollo. Worst of all, just on the night they were escaping. 

After the three kids looked for a minute or so between the junk and the debris of the yard, they saw a small child, no more than two years old with bright pink hair. Her eyes were watery, her face was flushed. She was filthy and her hands had cuts on them. 

“Here!” Feitan called at the other children.

Pakunoda did not hesitate to pick the little up and hold her in her arms. The small child finally stopped crying, sighing heavily as she felt the warmth of the older girl’s skin. The toddler had been neglected for a while and Pakunoda wondered if she had ever known love. 

"You and I are not so different aren't we?" the blonde child whispered to the pink-haired baby. 

“Let’s go.” She ordered, making sure her voice could be heard over the wind, and began to walk towards the path of the exit of the junkyard. 

Pakunoda wanted to save this child. If they left her there, Birsha would probably find her and do God knows what to her. It was her deepest desire to spare her of the abuse they had all endured. The boys knew this too, and their silence as they continued to run away after finding the pink-haired toddler confirmed they understood this. They were all strays, runaways, orphans, just children fighting for what they deserved; freedom. 

* * *

“If you can find a bottle of milk at the market, get it. The baby needs it.” The blonde girl instructed Chrollo and Feitan. Both boys were now the same height, much to Feitan's despair. 

It had been over six months since they had successfully run away from the abusive Birsha, and they were living in an abandoned house right outside a large dumping ground on the other side of town. The pink-haired child had grown attached to Pakunoda especially, always clinging to her when the boys would play a bit too roughly with her. 

They had named her Machi, it was the first thing other than “Mama” that she said. She had blue eyes and was usually quiet. All four children had gotten by stealing and pickpocketing, usually, Chrollo and Feitan were the ones to do the work. Pakunoda would stay and watch Machi. It had been rough, but they did things their way, ate whenever they could, and played until they wanted. For the first time since his mother died, Feitan felt like he was at peace. 

Feitan had been working on speaking better, although it was getting harder to keep up with the Chrollo’s blabbering. Pakunoda had found a few books at the junkyard and they would all take turns reading it, learning how to read and write, and even some basic math skills. There were no schools for children like them, so they made the best of what they had. 

“One day I’m gonna be really strong!” Chrollo playfully punched the shorter black-headed boy’s arm as they skipped along the street. It was lined with carts selling small amounts of grains and rice, some stands with bread. Children were often ignored at the market, no adult had the patience for them. 

“I will…be taller” Feitan smiled back at him, walking on his tiptoes to make himself momentarily taller than Chrollo.

“Yeah right!” Chrollo ran off, initiating a race with Feitan.

They ran through the streets of Meteor City, laughing as they darted in between the people in their way. They were free, free from the evil grasp of that man, free to do as they pleased. It was not a place that saw much happiness but for a few minutes, even passersby smiled at the two boys flying by. 

* * *

“Hey Fei! Look what I found!” Chrollo shouted below, he was digging through a pile of junk. He pulled out a red umbrella, nearly untouched.

“Wow! I like it!” Feitan, now about eleven years old stood up from the books he was rummaging through. His hair was longer, he wasn't too fond of cutting it. 

Chrollo was nine and slightly taller than Feitan. They were always together, diving through the mounds of undiscovered treasure or trash to the rest of the world. He threw the umbrella at him, Feitan catching it right in the nick of time. He examined the umbrella, it was a maroon color and had a black skull painted on the outer canopy. It intrigued him, what a curious item. _"I'm gonna keep this"_

“We should go back now. Paku will be looking for us.” Chrollo stood up, shaking the dirt off his shorts and carrying a stack of old books, he ran down the hill of trash.

Both boys raced to the exit, Feitan playfully poking Chrollo with his newfound weapon. 

It wasn’t a long walk home and right as they turned the corner something felt wrong. There were usually sounds of laughter and the other children’s voices calling out, but this time there was only silence. The eery atmosphere around them was enough to make them tense and alert. There were muffled cries, and the shuffling of feet coming from the house. 

**“You scream and I'll kill you insolent bitch”**

Both boys froze in their tracks, a chill running down Feitan’s spine as he recognized the haunting voice. _“Birsha! He found us. How?”_ He turned to face Chrollo and he too was thinking the same. Somehow the man had tracked them down, and now he had one of the girls in his grasp. They knew they had to act quickly, or it could go very wrong. 

Pointing at a metal rod on the floor, Feitan was sure to not make any noise as he secured his fingers against it. The alloy was cold, and he rubbed his thumb against it. 

Feitan raised a finger to his lips, signaling Chrollo to stay silent, and he nodded in agreement. He turned the corner, bracing himself for the scene that awaited them.

Birsha had his back turned from the entrance, a knife pressed against Pakunoda’s throat. Machi was in the corner crying begging him to let her go. Once Machi saw Feitan her eyes widened even further and she instantly looked away, being careful not to alert Bisha. 

At this moment, blood began to rush in his fingers, focusing his vision on his target. _“I have to do it now or never”_. He took a step forward and swung the rod as hard as he could. Birsha instantly came crashing down, loosening his grip on the blonde 14-year-old girl. Pakunoda was heaving, catching her breath from the attack.

Feitan could only stare at the man in front of him. He was on the floor, his head gashed in, and blood pooling from the wound. His heart was pounding out of his chest, and he was in shock. The wound made by the rod couldn’t have been that big, Feitan wasn’t so strong. Yet Birsha’s head was sunken in as if it were made of butter. How could this be possible? 

“He’s dead Feitan.” Chrollo called from behind. They had all known well enough the blank look of death in a person’s eyes.

_“Dead. I killed someone…”_ His hands began to shake uncontrollably, his breathing becoming loud and uneven. He had never meant to be a killer, he never wanted to end someone’s life. But this was Birsha, the man who had tortured him and the others all those years ago. Did he deserve to die? The little color Feitan had was beginning to wash away, he was paler than a piece of white paper.

“Feitan. We have to move him. He can’t stay here.” Chrollo was usually a smiley and energetic boy, but his demeanor had instantly changed to somber and serious. No smile could be found on his lips. Almost as if he knew exactly what to do in the heat of the moment he began to pull on Birsha’s ankles and motioned for Feitan to assist him.

“Are you okay Paku?” Chrollo shouted right outside the entrance of the abandoned building.

“y-yes. I’ll be okay.” Machi ran into her arms, letting out a muffled cry.

“Come on Fei.” Chrollo commanded, luring Feitan out of his trance.

A dead body felt heavier than it should, or maybe it was his conscious? His thoughts were all mushed together, his head was banging and his heart pounding. What had he done? Is this okay?

“If you hadn’t killed him, he would’ve kidnapped Paku and Machi. We wouldn’t have been able to fight him head-on.” Chrollo declared reassuringly.

It was true, it was the only chance they would’ve gotten to attack Birsha. The now-deceased redhead man was over six feet tall and was heavy set now all these years later. Feitan and Chrollo together would’ve never stood a chance if they hadn’t ambushed him. It was Feitan who’s body moved before he could command it to, he made the move to defend their friends.

“Feitan listen. No one cares who dies here. We bury him and that’s that. You saved us.” His words buried in his head, as he was drowning in guilt and remorse.

“You need to remember this. We do what we do and we **never** look back.”


	5. There's Change Ahead

The dreams that plagued Feitan in the coming nights were always the same. The bloody dead body of Birsha and Chrollo’s stone-cold eyes gleaming in the middle of the night. He was a _murderer_ now and there was no going back. He had only been alive 11 years and now he had been responsible for taking a life.

_“Fei thank you so much for saving me…you did what you had to do.”_ Pakunoda’s voice echoed in his dreams.

_“I would’ve done the same.”_ Chrollo would say for days after you had committed the crime.

His mother’s whispers were faded now, he could just barely remember the tone of her voice.

_“You need to strive to have a better life. Be a good man.”_

“I failed mama.” It was a disappointment that had swallowed him up entirely. This is not how he wanted to live, not the way things were supposed to be.

“What are you doing?” Chrollo’s sternly called out from above him.

“Are you still upset? Feitan what would you have wanted? Birsha killed or Paku and Machi killed?! You’re crying over killing the man who hurt us! Did you forget what he did to you?”

Chrollo had matured tremendously in the last few days. Deep inside, he had always had the bravery and drive of a leader. Even at just nine years of age, he could call a room together and everyone would listen to the words he said. Feitan was a boy with a guilty mind, that was no secret, but Chrollo’s words were enough to bring him back.

The children were beginning to understand just how cruel of a hand they’d been dealt in life. They were orphans, they had to fight and steal just to survive, they had to run from adults who had bad intentions for them. All they had was each other, and they had to make sure no one else would harm them.

“I’m sorry…I just...don't think that…I would kill Birsha again to save Paku and Machi.” He brought his hands in front of him, a sight that brought him peace when he was overcome with anxiety and fear.

“I’m gonna be honest Fei. I don’t think that’ll be the last time any of us will kill. You know what it’s like here. Kill or be killed.”

It was the harrowing truth; life in Meteor City was treacherous and unforgiving. Even children like them had to fend off others that would threaten their lives. No one was there to help, except each other.

**_“Thinner than water, thicker than blood.”_** This is what it meant. Most people would care less about their fellow citizens. Yet when a few were unfortunate enough to be brought together by the same circumstances, they were stronger than family.

“Feitan…how were you able to hurt him so badly?” This made Feitan flinch, it brought back the very graphic image of what he had done to Birsha. He didn’t know how to answer, in fact, he had no idea how he was overcome with such strength.

“I saw something.” Machi appeared from outside the door, her usual serious expression on her face.

“What?” Feitan questioned, letting his eyes meet Machi’s cold blue ones.

“Right before you were about to strike, it was like some white transparent cloud surrounded your hands.”

He tried to remember if he had seen the same. He was so overwhelmed by adrenaline and anger at the time he hadn’t stopped to look at his hands before he swung at Birsha’s head. Machi had been the only person facing him, so it would’ve been right in her line of sight. She was not one to make up lies for the hell of it.

“That’s so weird. Did you feel different when you did that?” Chrollo pondered. All eyes were on Feitan, his grey eyes darted to the side of the room in embarrassment.

“I…I did. I have never felt that.” He stuttered, finally bringing his head up, remembering the strange feeling that overcame him that night.

“A clear cloud, almost white? Right before he got stronger?” Pakunoda joined them walking forward with her arms crossed.

“Yes, Paku. Do you know what that is?” Chrollo looked up at her, waiting for her to answer.

“No I don’t. But I know someone who might.” She raised her finger up to her chin as she was deep in thought.

* * *

“You sure this guy is not crazy Paku?” Machi pleaded, worried about sending Pakunoda and the boys off to some potentially dangerous person.

“Well I’m pretty sure he’s fine. He’s just a bit older than you Machi.” Pakunoda declared as she adjusted the laces on her shoes. The children had finally owned their own footwear, they rarely had to walk barefoot along the streets.

“He is…a kid,” Feitan asked, walking next to the now much taller blonde teen.

“Yes, but so are you.”

Chrollo let out a giggle and Feitan was quick to shoot him a deathly glare.

“Shut up.” Feitan slapped Chrollo across his arm playfully.

After walking for ten minutes, they arrived at a house in between many. People who lived in actual houses were the most fortunate in the area but compared to those in the rest of the world, they also lived in poverty.

Pakunoda knocked twice on the wooden door in front of them. A minute later, it swung open, and behind it was a blonde boy around Chrollo’s age.

“Hey! Pakonoda! It’s sure nice seeing you!” He gestured for the children to come in, smiling happily as he welcomed his guests.

“Hi, thank you for letting us come on such short notice.” Pakunoda nodded at the shorter boy in front of her.

“Wow you live here? It’s nice.” Chrollo looked at his surroundings, marveling at the actually unexceptional house around him.

“Oh it’s not much. I’m lucky I live with my grandma though.” The blonde boy stated, placing his hands proudly on his hips.

It was rare to find children like him who had any sort of real parent or guardian still around. Most children had been abandoned as babies and left to fend for themselves. Others who had been born to Meteor city natives usually had their parents die tragically of disease of unfortunate murder, like Feitan’s mother.

“I forgot to introduce myself! I’m Shalnark!”

“Hi Shalnark nice to meet you. I’m Chrollo.” He approached the blonde boy to shake his hand.

“And you?” Shalnark turned to face Feitan, who was sulking in the corner of the room.

“Feitan.” He said softly not moving from where he was.

“He doesn’t talk much to strangers but he’s actually kind of nice.” Chrollo chuckled.

“That’s fine! I understand. So what was it you wanted to ask Pakunoda?” Shalnark asked the tall girl next to him.

“Well there was an incident recently…Feitan here had a strange moment where he was faced with danger, and he suddenly had more strength than normal, his hands were surrounded by what looked like a white transparent cloud.”

The room was now silent, Shalnark processing the information and Feitan watching him think. He was not a fan of having to recount this to a stranger, but he trusted Pakunoda’s judgment.

“Well…I read of something like this in a book somewhere.” He wandered off to a stack of books, most with missing pages or covers. He began to scan the selection, with a particular one in mind.

“Oh this one!” He pulled the book out, it had a dusty cover and its pages were yellowed.

“Have you ever felt that before Feitan?” Shalnark asked the black-haired boy behind him.

“No.” was all he muttered.

“Hm…” Shalnark began to look through the pages of the book, running his fingers down the pages as he read them.

“He’s really smart.” Chrollo mumbled at Feitan.

After a few minutes of browsing, the blonde boy came across the page he was looking for. He jumped up in excitement, letting his large green eyes meet the other children in the room.

“Here it is! Aura is the life energy that surrounds every person’s body. It is characterized as white transparent energy. The ability to harness, or control this aura is called **Nen**.” He turned the page of the book, his eyes not leaving the words in front of him.

“Usually, one would have to go through a tremendous amount of training in order to learn Nen. There are, however, some people who are able to naturally come by this ability accidentally and unknowingly.”

Shalnark looked up from the book, glancing at Feitan.

“Unknowingly? How is that possible?” Chrollo wondered in curiosity.

“I’m not sure but I’m guessing Feitan being faced with a life or death situation mixed with his determination probably triggered something in him.”

“That’s definitely interesting,” Pakunoda added.

“This Nen thing…what can it do?” Chrollo was completely invested in the conversation that he had nearly forgotten that Feitan was the one seeking answers.

“Well, it says here that if one learns how to use it properly, it can be extremely powerful. You can create special abilities, making yourself very strong.”

Chrollo’s mind began to turn, thoughts coming into light. There was so much they could do now that they had this knowledge. They had always been at a disadvantage to the adults of their world, they were always much larger and stronger. They had no access to reliable weapons to defend themselves, so every day was a gamble to stay alive

Although the rest of the children in the room had no idea, Chrollo was smiling because he knew this was their chance. The tables could finally turn in their favor, and all they needed was a little bit of luck and knowledge provided to them by their new acquaintance.

“Why you smile Chrollo?” It was the first time Feitan had spoken since learning about this. Everyone in the room was watching Chrollo, fascinated at the way his eyes light up when his mind would go to work.

“Because things are finally going to change from now on.”


	6. You've Got to Try

“I don’t get it why isn’t it working now?” Chrollo pondered, staring at Feitan as he held a broken hatchet in his hands.

They had been testing this newfound power day and night, coming to the junkyard and sparring until their hands bled. It was hard for Feitan to summon this power, as he didn’t know how. He was growing more and more tired, but Chrollo was not backing down.

“It could be that he only activated it when he was faced with a life or death situation,” Shalnark added watching the tired black-haired boy fall to his knees.

“There has to be another way. How else do people learn it by themselves?” Chrollo began to walk around, deep in thought.

The wind had died down in the last few days, an indication that summer was approaching. It was usually hot in Meteor City, but the summers were scorching.

“Shalnark, would you have more books on this?” Chrollo asked the blonde, shaking his head while he was still pondering.

“No, I don’t. There might be more information on the missing pages but I don’t know how we could find another book like that. They’re rare.” With this, the children fell silent. Feitan only wanted to go home and sleep but Chrollo kept insisting that there was a way to get him to learn how to use this power to their advantage.

“In other places, there are these things called computers. All you have to do is write on it with some special buttons called a keyboard and it’ll tell you whatever you want to know. Unfortunately, there are none here.” Shalnark continued, staring up at the sky. He wished he could one day live to see these machines.

“Why didn’t I think of this before!” Chrollo jumped up, scaring the boys around him.

“The fighting pits!” Feitan and Shalnark gave each other a look, sweat running down the smaller black-haired boy’s forehead. He didin’t like where this was going.

“Downtown, there are fighting pits. People wager on who will win what fight and the winner gets some grand reward, probably a whole sack of rice or flour but that’s not why I mentioned it! If you have to fight one on one with people bigger than you, it could probably be enough to activate your Nen Fei!”

“What?! Me fight with big men?” Feitan gasped in shock. He was now shorter than Chrollo, and he was a skinny boy. There was no way he could ever win in a fight like that.

“We can keep training you, just to build your strength! Also, I don’t think you’ll be short forever!” Shalnark chuckled.

“Are you sure that’s the best idea?” Pakunoda appeared from behind a trashed car, seeming worried.

“Hey, Pakunoda!” Shalnark greeted happily. He never seemed to be in a bad mood. Even compared to Chrollo, he was a bit too bubbly for Feitan’s liking.

“I don’t…know. I am scared. But I need…try.” The words that came out of Feitan’s mouth surprised Chrollo. He didn’t think it would be so easy to convince him to fight in the pits. _“If I’m able to learn how to use this, I could protect them. I might even be able to teach Chrollo how to use it.”_

In his heart, he only wanted to learn Nen to protect his friends, the only family he had. Feitan had the best intentions, the mystery of the future troubled him. What would be of their fate if they couldn’t defend themselves?

All the children watched as the sun began to set behind them. The sky was turning bloody orange, bringing this hue down on the junkyard and children below it.

At the same time, the children wondered what the world was like outside the trash barriers. Was there space for them out there? Would they ever be accepted?

* * *

The lively atmosphere of downtown Meteor City was bustling. Children and people talking, footsteps everywhere, merchants calling out to potential customers. Downtown giving it too much credit. There were no pleasant places in the city, it just so happened to be the most populated part.

The children, especially Feitan had trained constantly to build some strength. They didn’t want to send him into a fight completely defenseless. Despite all the work he had done, Feitan’s stomach was churning, he was anxious. He had no idea what to expect.

“Paku, Feitan won’t die right?” Machi was frightened at the sight of the large men and boys at the entrance of the double doors that led to the fighting pits.

“No, he won’t,” Pakunoda reassured the worried pink-haired child, gripping her hand tighter as they walked through the crowd.

“This is your entry?! He’s a little pipsqueak!” The man at the counter taking admissions laughed loudly, placing his hands on his round belly.

“Yes. He can hold his own!” Chrollo barked back, slightly annoyed at the rude man.

“Fat stupid man” Feitan growled, his grey eyes narrowing as they walked past the counter.

It was darker down here, but the sounds of grunting and screaming men alerting the children they were in the right place. As they neared the makeshift ring, there was an enormous hole in the roof. This provided them with enough light to see what was in front of them.

“I’m gonna die.” Feitan grimly declared, panicking helplessly.

“No, you’ll be okay Feitan if you just focus and think about what you did last time” Chrollo placed his hand on the small boy’s back.

“It might be fun!” Shalnark laughed, trying to ease the tension around them.

“You’re up kid!” A large man with long brown hair pointed at Feitan and motioned for him to step up into the ring.

“Good luck!” Shalnark called out to the poor black-haired boy.

_“I have to stay calm.”_ He began to regularize his breathing, concentrating on calming his heartbeat. _“I don’t have to win, I just have to stay alive long enough to push me over the edge and maybe activate this power.”_

A large shadow hovered over him, and he couldn’t bring his eyes up to look at him just yet.

“Ya gotta be kiddin’ me! I could eat this kid n’ one bite and you expect me to fight em’?” A bald man stood in front of Feitan, flexing his large muscles.

“Shut up…old man,” Feitan growled, lowering his stance.

“Oh now ya’ve really got me fired up!”

The whistle blew, initiating the fight. The bald man didn’t take long to swing at Feitan, but the boy was able to duck it in time. He could feel the adrenaline rushing through his body as it did before, the heat of excitement and fear closing in on him.

The second time the man acted, the boy wasn’t so lucky. He was able to land a hard kick in his abdomen, sending him flying out the ring.

“NO! Chrollo why did you make him do this?!” Pakunoda yelled from the bench, furiously scolded the boy next to her.

“He’s going to be fine; he can do this.” Chrollo leaned forward to get a better view.

“You alright kid? Can you still fight?” the man who seemed to be the referee asked him.

He spat some blood out and wiped his face. He quickly got up, much to the surprise of the whole crowd.

There was nothing more that the residents of Meteor City enjoyed than watching two people beat the shit out of each other. They didn’t care if it was an old man or child getting beaten up, it was all pure enjoyment. It was one of the few things that distracted them from the grim reality of their lives.

“Next time it better be you up there,” Pakunoda growled at Chrollo.

“He’s fine, he’s okay” Chrollo murmured to himself as his eyes stayed glued to the fight. A grown man and a smaller than average 11-year old boy, most people around them didn’t know if they should laugh or cry.

“Have ya had ‘nough kid? Issa okay to give up now!” The man bellowed from above, taunting the now furious child. Despite haven been thrown by someone four times his size, he walked right in front of him and waved his hand at him, indicating he was ready for me.

This seemed to enrage the man. It was an insult that this scrawny boy didn’t fear him, this time he would use all his force.

Feitan could hear the blood in his ears rushing, his eyes focusing on the beast in his line of sight. The crowd around them seemed to fade, he could only see his opponent. Time seemed to slow, his senses growing sharper. It happened almost too quickly for him to notice what was happening.

The large man tensed his arm, pulling it back quickly as he prepared to land the knockout blow. _“This’ll show ‘em”_ He boasted to himself. As his arm began to cut through the air, Feitan could see this happen much slower. It gave him time to react, pulling himself back and around his opponent, and with all the strength he had, he felt his limbs grow weightless.   
  


Any other normal child of this size and stature would not have been able to accomplish this fantastic feat. Enveloped by a mysterious power, he picked the poor unsuspecting man up and over his head, with a force so strong he went crashing into a bench below.

As he felt the noise surrounding him come back to normal, he stared at his hands in disbelief of what he had done. People around him were cheering, spitting at the loser knocked unconscious. It was unbelievable what he had done, and everyone was amazed.

“See, I told you he’d be fine. He did it, I knew he would” Chrollo smirked at Pakunoda and Machi next to him.

Pakunoda felt a mixture of relief and anger as she smacked the black-headed boy in the head.

“OW! What did you do that for?!” Chrollo cried as he rubbed the wound on his head.

“You’re lucky he didn’t die out there!” The blonde girl chided, bringing Machi closer into her embrace.

Still buried in his astonishment, Feitan caught a glimpse of his friends and gave them a soft smile.

_“Thanks, Chrollo for believing in me, like you always have.”_


	7. The Unity of Grief

“How do you feel?” Machi asked worriedly at the boy in front of them.

“Fine. Was more…tired yesterday.” Feitan mumbled, pushing his long black hair back.

His entire body was sore, down to the bones in his fingers. He could barely move. After pushing himself past his limit, he was unsure how much further he could go.

It was an unusually cool day in the city, it was gloomy and dark outside. The wind was blowing harder than normal, and pieces of debris were flying everywhere.

“Hey someone’s outside” Pakunoda whispered, eyeing Chrollo in the corner reading a book.

“Hmm?” Chrollo didn’t bother to let his eyes leave the words on the page.

“It’s a big kid and some girl.” The blonde replied, slightly annoyed at Chrollo’s disinterest.

They all gathered around the entrance of the door, Chrollo pushing the door and letting it open slowly.

In front of them stood a tall, broad figure. He was nearly as tall as a grown man yet had the face of a child. He was had tan skin, strong shoulders, brown curly hair and was donning a wide grin. Behind him, you could see a small girl hiding.

The children inside the building were staring curiously at the boy in front of them. _“Who is this?”_ Feitan wondered.

“Well, I guess I’ll just introduce myself. I’m Uvogin. I was at the pits the other day watching this one fight.” He pointed a large finger at the pale black-haired boy. “I gotta say, I’m surprised you were able to beat all those guys. You needa teach me your secret!” He crouched forward, his hands raised in excitement.

“Who’s that?” Chrollo pointed at the figure looming behind the large boy.

“Oh her? This is my sister Umeko.” Uvogin shifted to his left to reveal a timid and much smaller girl that was using him as cover. She had similar tan skin, long curly hair, and large brown eyes. Her eyes were fixated on the ground, and she was twirling her fingers nervously.

Chrollo did not take his eyes off of her. Everyone around him realized that his lips drew a smile, he ran his hand through his hair as he did.

“So…what do you say?” the tall tan boy asked impatiently. He was still waving his hands excitedly.

Feitan did not know how to reply. It was foreign to him that anyone would ever come to him for anything, let alone help. Did this boy have some ulterior motive behind wanting to find them?

He quickly approached him, not letting the difference in stature intimated him as Uvogin towered over him. He raised his head and let his eyes meet with his, not blinking once.

“Why you here? Who sent you?” He preferred to be safe. With the way things worked around here, he wasn’t surprised if someone had sent them to spy on them or even hurt them.

“No one. I wanted to come. I dragged Ume with me. We don’t come from anywhere; we’ve just been on the streets since we could remember.” He insisted while taking a second to glance back at his sister.

It was true, the two brown-haired children standing in front of them had been alone since they could walk on their own. They knew nothing about who their parents were or what had happened to them. They only had each other; it was the only solid truth they knew.

This was the strangest thing about this city. The way it could draw people who had gone through the same misfortune, it was unlike anything else. It was the silence that followed Uvogin’s declaration that let him know that he was understood. There was nothing else he had to say, all the children knew very well that this was what would link them together. Tragedy, nothing else but disaster and unimaginable sadness was what they all shared. It only took a simple explanation and it was enough for them to not question them any further.

How Feitan wished to live like the children in Shalnark’s books. He longed for a real family, his mother, and maybe even a father. Could it be possible that he deserved this life? No, it couldn’t be. He was only a child. They were all just children, with no fault of their own. Did anyone know that they lived this way? Feitan had somehow convinced himself that the outside world had no clue about Meteor City. That could be the only reason why no one had come to save them.

As the children gestured at Uvogin and Umeko to walk into the building they called home, a small sense of peace overcame Feitan. It was in knowing that at least he had these people he could call friends, that he realized he wasn’t alone either. He also understood that no matter how close they all were, they could go their separate ways eventually. For the moment, he only wanted to enjoy the time he had with them. _“Life changes quickly. I have to be ready for anything._ ” He thought as he followed them into the entryway.

* * *

It had been an exceptionally difficult few years for every resident in the city. Disease was rampant this season, food supplies were especially scarce. People were collapsing from starvation on the streets every day. The atmosphere was dense with pollution and sand, it was a grim day, even by recent standards.

The children were now a few years older. They had barely survived the famine by killing stray animals and stealing whatever food the most fortunate had in their homes. In the time that had passed, Shalnark had lost his grandmother, who had succumbed to a mysterious illness. He shut himself in his house for days; unable to handle the excruciating grief. Chrollo would occasionally stop by to slip a note under his door, hoping that he would open up and let them know he was okay. It worried them to see how their friend who was always so lively and cheerful, was now sunken in a world full of sadness.

Days passed before he finally opened the door. It was unexpected at first, it creaked as it swung ajar. Feitan was the first to enter, watching as the darkroom around him began to come to light. He saw the blonde boy curled up on the floor, tears streaming down his face.

The black-haired boy didn’t say a word. He only approached his friend and handed him a book, nearly intact with yellowed pages. It was something he had found in the junkyard, and he had been saving it to give to Shalnark.

He placed his hand over his momentarily letting him feel the warmth of his skin. It was brief, but the most Feitan could give. It was his way of telling him that he knew the pain he felt, the grief of losing the only family you had. As he walked away, Shalnark could feel a weight being lifted off his shoulders, as he did not have to keep up his normal façade of being friendly and smiling all the time. He had been understood the way he was right now.

The children had been working tirelessly to train and awaken their abilities. Chrollo had been the one to catch up to Feitan first, using whatever information they gathered from the pages of the book Shalnark had found. It was sloppy, uncoordinated, and not very impressive but they were trying their hardest every day. This was the only hope they had to gain an upper hand, a possibility to survive and even thrive in this world.

Chrollo began to quickly surpass all the other children. It was incredible the amount of raw potential he held. In fact, all of them, Feitan, Uvogin, Machi, Shalnark, Pakunoda, and a few other children they had met along the way had exceptional motivation, unlike any others.

It’s important to note that the power they had at this moment was unrefined and not perfected. They were children with no guidance and no one to help hone their skills. They only had each other, everything they built was of their own accord and there was no denying that there was no better merit than that.

Uvogin’s sister Umeko had declined to train and learn how to fight, she constantly insisted that she trusted her brother would always be there to protect her. It took a while for her to finally step out of his shadow, and when she did it was apparent that Chrollo immediately took a liking to her. They were rather close at times, spending the evenings watching the sunset at the junkyard. Occasionally Chrollo would bring her stolen trinkets as gifts, and she would always thank him shyly for this.

As the children were now in their early to middle teens, they began to feel a sense of assurance that might make it after all. They were growing stronger, taller although not as fast as regular children as they lacked proper diet and the pollution in the environment sometimes hindered their growth.

Much to his disdain, Feitan did not grow as fast as the other boys. Chrollo already towered over him despite Feitan being 15 and Chrollo being 13. He began to suspect that Machi may one day surpass him in height. As he grew older and tougher, he grew more silent. He followed and trusted Chrollo’s guidance, as he had a natural ability to lead and plan like no one else.

With time Chrollo grew more and more ambitious. They were in general just petty thieves, stealing food and semi-valuable items here and there. Yet the taller black-haired teen wanted more for them. He knew that with the strength and power they were growing and with an effective plan they could do so much more. He would spend nights sitting at his desk writing ideas that he wanted so badly to come to fruition. They had all grown desensitized to the crimes they had to commit along the way. Stealing was no big deal anymore; they would have to maim some people along the way and sometimes even kill if they had to.

_“If this is the hand life has given us, then these are the cards we will play. I don’t care what we have to do to survive. We’ll make of the best out of this shitty world, I swear we will.”_


End file.
